What exactly is a gospel? And is there a right way to read them? In this episode, we examine the gospel as a genre of biblical literature and discuss: their content, the events that occasioned their writing, and the manner of their composition. And we begin with fact that “gospel” (the Greek word is εὐαγγέλιον) did...
Tag: understanding Christianity
Understanding the Bible 15: Jesus’s Story Begins
In our modern translations of the Bible, all one has to do to move from the Hebrew scriptures to the story of Jesus is turn a page – a action so simple it suggests the connection between the two “testaments” is obvious. Of course the story of Jesus is connected to the story of Abraham,...
Understanding the Bible 14: Messianic Expectations Begin
The period after the return from exile was one of deep confusion for Israel. For while she had indeed been set free from captivity, the deliverance was partial at best. The Persians remained the sovereign political and military power in the region (later replaced by a series of empires beginning with Alexander the Great and...